THE REISSUES
I am one of those fans of this band due to the fact that it was made up of members of an old underground band called Sanctuary who were playing it metal. That band went on and dissolved. The years passed and we heard of glimmers of sound. Glimmers of sound? I didn’t wait and went out and bought the bands first CD and was floored by what I heard. You as a
Foundrymusic reader may know that I also have reviewed the bands last two records
ENEMIES OF REALITY and
THIS GODLESS ENDEAVOR. As a special treat Century sent these reissues of some of the greatest records I own already. Each of the bands records they release tops it predecessor. The key to these CD’s is the fact that they are re-mastered. The first CD release as with the others is re-mastered. That somewhat muddy original sound is much brighter and clearer. Oh it is sweet hearing these songs with such new energy. I loved this record to death. “What Tomorrow Knows”, “C.B.F.”, “The Sanity Assassin”, “Garden Of Grey” and four other great tracks. They also whip up five extra tracks making this record much fuller. “The System’s Failing” is the first real studio bonus track. Then four demos of unreleased songs “The Dreaming Mind”, “World Unborn”, Chances Three” and “Utopia”. They even threw a video on this CD. On this first self titled record I knew that Jeff Loomis the guitar shredder was gonna excel later. We then go to the In Memory EP that has tracks like “Optimist Or Pessimist”, “Matricide”, “In Memory”, “Silent Hedges” and “Sorrowed Man” makes up this EP. On this one the extras are the demo tracks of songs like “Passenger”, “The Sacrament”, “The Seven Tongues Of God”, “42147” and “The Tainanmen Man” that all show up on the third CD here called The Politics Of Ecstasy. This is another great record in itself for the time that it came out. It was metal still not bowing to trends. Some of the other tracks on Politics are “Lost”, “The Learning”, the title track and more. They slap the JUDAS PRIEST cover of love bites that can be found on the tribute to JP that Century Media issued. As a last piece they give you the video for “Next In Line”. A great band that I bow to with every release I hear. They haven’t failed these ears once. Goodbye slip sleeve versions!
